LDS Church donates $10M toward homeless housing in Salt Lake Valley

SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Thursday it’s donating $10 million toward the construction and development of housing for homeless in Salt Lake Valley.

The donation will benefit the nonprofit organization Shelter the Homeless. Church officials hope the funds will help them better address housing challenges, and ultimately lead to better outcomes for homeless people in the valley.

“Homelessness affects all sectors of our communities. Around the world, we join hands and hearts with dozens of partners engaged in alleviating suffering in their respective communities, and in the process, we point people towards greater self-reliance,” Bishop Gérald Caussé, presiding bishop of the church who oversees the church’s humanitarian efforts, said in a news release.

The funds will come from the church’s Humanitarian Aid Fund, according to the statement posted by the church.

Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski called the LDS Church a "critical partner" in the planning of a new homeless resource model in a series of tweets Thursday afternoon.

"This gift further signifies their dedication to ensuring the new resource centers are spaces of hope where individuals can improve their lives and move toward independence," she tweeted. "I am truly grateful for the Church’s commitment to the success of #SLC and all the people who call it home."